


I Wish I Was the Moon

by fullgallantry



Category: Power Rangers Dino Charge
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:48:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22574305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullgallantry/pseuds/fullgallantry
Summary: Chase finds Riley after the final battle and finally tells him how he feels.
Relationships: Riley Griffin/Chase Randall
Comments: 2
Kudos: 73
Collections: Ranger Romance Ficathon 2020





	I Wish I Was the Moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eimegrise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eimegrise/gifts).



The night of the party, Riley Griffin is nothing if not put on edge. The streamers, the balloons, the brand new dinosaurs that roam around. It's a brand new world that he's just brave enough to be a part of, thanks to the actions of his incredible team. He watches them dance, sing, the other patrons of the new "zoo" celebrating with them; all of them thinking it's because of the grand re-opening. They'll never know what the team has done for them, and part of him is happy for that. Part of him wishes he could have this all the time, this blissful ignorance, this feeling of contentment around all the accomplishments they've wrought. 

He remembers his brother, and how jealous of him he'd used to be. He wonders to himself how he could ever let something so foolish get between them. Especially now that he's being recognized by the others as one of the saviors of their world. As someone who was capable of birthing a brand new Earth to be shared and loved by humans and dinosaurs alike. It all seems like a dream to him now. He steps outside into the warm summer air, not quite ready to feel the tinge of cold that's bound to come any day now. It's almost fall, and that means the changing of the seasons is right around the corner.   
  
Taking a deep breath, he closes his eyes, smiling at the memories that have built up in the front of his brain. It makes his face feel heavy from smiling so much. This is how it should feel, he decides, reminiscing about his friends and family and the things he's done. "Nice night, innit?"  
  
Riley turns, watching as Chase joins him on the balcony of the zoo. He nods, looking back up to the sky in a moment of cognitive dissonance. "You were really tearing up the dance floor in there. I'm surprised you could tear yourself away."  
  
"The people were beggin' me ta'stay!" He laughs, nudging Riley's shoulder with his own.   
  
This is what he'll miss the most, he thinks. Just like that, all the happiness disappears, crashing down in a pile around him, and the reality that this is all over begins to set in. He'll go to college and Chase will go back to New Zealand. Shelby, Tyler, and Kendall will run the museum, Koda and Ivan are back in their respective times. He'll be alone, again, just like he was at the beginning of this entire adventure. It's a feeling he knows Chase doesn't reflect. When he looks at him, it's all smiles, always happiness and understanding and courage. He's never seen Chase doubt the way he does.   
  
"Are you excited?" He forces out. Chase turns to him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "To go home, I mean. It's been a while, right? Since Christmas? It's been almost a year already."  
  
"Yeah, s'exciting, for sure. Dunno how I could ever leave this place, though. After everythin' that's happened, s'like this is my home now, y'know?"  
  
Home. Yeah, Riley knows. He purses his lips and turns his head back toward the night sky. He knows exactly what he's talking about. Exactly how ti feels to know that, despite this feeling like the most comfortable place to ever exist, he'll be forced to leave it soon. "You must be pretty excited though, too." Chase starts again, turning his head this time to look at Riley. "Startin' college in a few weeks. Ya get t'study anything ya want. Decided what that'll be yet?"  
  
In all honesty, no. Riley hasn't given a single thought to it since leaving the farm. He's considered one or two things, but between training, fighting monsters, making sure the world doesn't end, he hasn't really devoted the time to it he knows he should. He can't verbalize any of this, however, and simply shakes his head, much to Chase's splendor. "Awe, c'mon. Ya gotta have somethin' planned."  
  
Again, Riley shakes his head, this time a splash of pink painting his face. There's a pain lurking in the response. Maybe if he'd given more thought to where he wanted to be instead of where he was over the summer, he'd be in a better place now. That's not the case, however, and he's stuck here with Chase, wondering where he'll end up when he finally throws himself to the tide of college. everyone tells him it'll be alright. Kendall expressed that the first two years of college are basically figuring yourself out years. They're time specifically set aside to do the basics of college and make sure you learned enough in high school before you decide really where you want to go. He's considered his options but none stick out so much. None of them fulfill him the way that being a Power Ranger had.   
  
A swell of disappointment washes over him as the lights inside the museum begin to dim, the last few songs queued up so that the elders can get one last slow dance in before their bed time. Riley bites his lip, nearly gnawing through the soft flesh as a fear envelopes him. It can't be over so soon. This can't be the end. He'll have to go home tomorrow. Tyler and Shelby will go on some expedition tomorrow. Kendall will go back to work tomorrow. Chase will go back to New Zealand tomorrow. He every terrible, horrible thing at once.  
  
"Mate?" Chase asks, moving closer. "Y'er shaking. What's the matter?" He moves closer, but Riley immediately steps away.  
  
At once, all the thoughts about Chase he's tried to keep under the surface come up all at once. He's not disappointed that Chase is leaving or that he'll never see him again, he's disappointed that he never had the courage to tell him how he feels. Ever since the tooth decay monster struck, Chase is all he can think about. His smile. His laugh. Riley is good at keeping things buried, but this refuses to stop blooming. Feeling Chase touch him, feeling him so close, makes it nearly impossible for the flowers not to open in his head.  
  
"Riley," Chase whispers.  
  
"No!" He can't stop himself from raising his voice. It's so sudden and impulsive but he can't stop. His mind races a million miles a minute. Will they ever see each other again? Will he ever know how Riley feels about him? Will he feel the same?   
  
Chase steps forward again, this time his arms reaching out to grab Riley's arms. Riley impulsively grips Chase's biceps in return. He hadn't noticed his breathing until the second Chase is in front of him and he can't control it. He's huffing and gasping and can't put two and two together."Breathe, Riley. Please, breathe." He whispers, softly, but Riley can't catch his breath. His face is red and warm and uncomfortable and it feels like he's going to come out of his skin at any second until Chase presses their bodies together.   
  
It's not instantaneous by any means, but the feeling of Chase's heartbeat against his chest brings Riley down from his panic. He breathes more evenly, slower, reconfiguring his brain with every second. He swallows, hard, as the two separate. In the moonlight, Chase looks so soft. He smiles that million dollar smile and Riley can't help but melt again. The way the evening shimmers around him makes the blonde wish he were the moon, if even for a second, to make Chase look the way he does this night for the rest of their lives. Without warning, Chase pulls Riley closer once more, this time their faces on a collision course, and he panics.   
  
"No," Riley whispers. "No, no, no, no." His heartbeat increases again. "No don't kiss me, please. Please, I'm begging, don't kiss me." Chase's eyes widen a bit as he stops his forward motion. "You're just going to hurt me if you kiss me. You have to leave tomorrow and if you kiss me I'll want to kiss you again but you won't be here and I can't —"  
  
Without another moment of hesitation, Chase presses their lips together. Riley feels every concern in his body drift away into the air, becoming stars in the night sky and disappearing in a sea of darkness. He rests his hands on Chase's arms, the man holding him close to keep him still as their tongue's dance between their lips. When he finally pulls away, he's out of breath but not unsatisfied.  
  
"I hope that was's good as you thought'd be," Chase whispers. "I thought, maybe I don'go home just yet. Maybe I stick around, enroll in school. I'd hate t'go home to my mum without the guy I've been tellin'er about."   
  
Riley beams, letting out a breath before allowing his head to fall into Chase's chest. The two stand in embrace for a while. No one keeps track of the time. No one puts a curfew on their moment. It's for them and for them only, and for the first time, Riley isn't worried about the future. 


End file.
